FIG. 1 shows an example of a conventional seat belt arrangement 10 having a latch plate 20 and a buckle 30. The latch plate 20 and buckle 30 are typically configured such that the latch plate 20 is received in a recess 50 of the buckle 30 and engages therein to form a locking relationship with respect to the buckle 30.
A problem with the above arrangement is that a release button 40 of the buckle 30 can be easily pressed, for example by a child, to disengage the latch plate 20 from the buckle 30. This can be dangerous if a vehicle that such a child is travelling in stops suddenly whilst the child is unsecured. Further, such a conventional arrangement can be dangerous if a child releases themselves and then exits the vehicle whilst the vehicle is moving or exits the vehicle when stationary, into the path of another vehicle passing by.
In order to address the above problem, one known seat belt arrangement comprises a buckle cover (not shown) that attaches to a buckle such as the buckle 30 and covers the release button 40 in order to prevent a passenger, such as a child from pressing the release button 40 and disengaging the latch plate 20.
A problem with the above buckle cover, however, is that the cover can sometimes be removed from the buckle 30 by a child allowing the child access to the buckle 30 and the release button 40. Another disadvantage of the above buckle cover is that the cover remains on the buckle such that the buckle is still locked when a vehicle engine is switched off and thus, potentially can become an impediment to the passenger being released in the event of an accident.
Another known seat belt arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,652.
This seat belt arrangement comprises a main body and a plate and is configured to attach and cover a traditional buckle.
The plate can only be operated by compressing two locking cylinders located on the lateral sides of the main body. The locking cylinders can be electrically connected to the door locking system of a vehicle, Whilst the doors of the vehicle are locked the plate is unable to be released from the buckle. However when a door of the vehicle is unlocked, the plate is able to be released.
One disadvantage of this arrangement is that the main body and plate that cover the buckle are too cumbersome and bulky, because of that reason alone it would never be allowed to be fitted to today's vehicles.
Thus a need clearly exists for an improved seat belt arrangement that first has to comply with the vehicle safety standards of today. It should look and operate like a normal seat belt arrangement and at all times can be used as such, but it will be a system that has a locking option fitted to it, so that it can be used to safely transport persons with special needs, for example, persons for whatever reason tend to unbuckle their seat belts whilst the vehicle is in motion.